System and method for detecting movement of an occupant seated in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10525910-B2
Application number	US-201715643379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2017
Priority date	Jul 6, 2017
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A system for detecting a motion of an occupant seated in a vehicle. The system includes a sensing electrode located proximate to the occupant and configured to transmit a signal representative of a current in the sensing electrode. The system also includes a receiver including a controller and coupled to an antenna. The receiver is configured to detect a change in the transmitted signal based on a presence of the occupant and a set detection condition, and generate detection information based on the set detection condition. The controller is configured to change a state of a vehicle component based on the generated detection information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling a component of a control module of a vehicle operated by a driver and configured for operation in semi-autonomous and autonomous driving modes, comprising:
an electrode located within a steering wheel of the vehicle and configured to transmit a control signal representative of a current in the electrode through the driver of the vehicle via a body area network; and
a receiver coupled to an antenna located proximate to the component, the receiver being configured to detect the transmitted control signal and determine the presence of the driver proximate to the component based on detection information indicating a proximity between an appendage of the driver and the antenna; wherein the determination of the presence of the driver is provided to a controller and
wherein the controller is configured to
determine whether the driver may control the component based on a driving mode of the vehicle and contact between the driver and the steering wheel,
prohibit, based on the determination of whether the driver may control the component, the driver from controlling the component by disabling touched based control of the component when the vehicle is in a manual driving mode and the driver is in contact with the steering wheel, and
generate a prompt indicating the touched based control of the component is disabled; and

wherein the controller is configured to permit the driver to control the component when the vehicle is in one of the semi-autonomous driving mode and the autonomous driving mode and the driver is in contact with the steering wheel.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller allows the driver to control the component when the vehicle is in one of a semi autonomous driving mode and an autonomous driving mode and the driver is other than in contact with the steering wheel.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrode transmits the control signal through the driver over one of a discrete frequency and a time phase frequency.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the receiver is located in a center console of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the receiver is located in a terminal device in the vehicle and the controller,
prohibits, based on the determination, the driver from controlling the terminal device by disabling touched based control of the terminal device when the vehicle is in a manual driving mode and the driver is in contact with the steering wheel, and
generates a prompt indicating the touched based control of the terminal device is disabled.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the terminal device is one of a mobile phone, a tablet, a wearable electromechanical device and a laptop.

7. A system for controlling a component of a control module of a vehicle operated by a driver and configured for operation in semi-autonomous and autonomous driving modes, comprising:
an electrode located within the control module and configured to transmit a control signal representative of a current in the electrode through the driver of the vehicle via a body area network; and
a receiver coupled to an antenna located in a steering wheel of the vehicle, the receiver configured to detect the transmitted control signal based on contact between the driver and the steering wheel, wherein the receiver includes a controller configured to
determine whether the driver may control the component based on a driving mode of the vehicle and the contact between the driver and the steering wheel,
prohibit, based on the determination, the driver from controlling the component by disabling touched based control of the component when the vehicle is in a manual driving mode and the driver is in contact with the steering wheel, and
generate a prompt indicating the touched based control of the component is disabled; and

wherein the controller is configured to permit the driver to control the component when the vehicle is in one of the semi-autonomous driving mode and the autonomous driving mode and the driver is in contact with the steering wheel.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to receive additional information indicating whether the driver is seated in the driver seat of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller allows the driver to control the component when the vehicle is in one of a semi autonomous driving mode and an autonomous driving mode and the driver is other than in contact with the steering wheel.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the electrode transmits the control signal through the driver over one of a discrete frequency and a time phase frequency.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein
the electrode located within the control module is configured to transmit the control signal representative of a current in the electrode around a periphery of the control module and through a terminal device in the vehicle and
the controller is configured to
prohibit, based on the determination, the driver from controlling the terminal device by disabling touched based control of the terminal device when the vehicle is in a manual driving mode and the driver is in contact with the steering wheel, and
generate a prompt indicating the touched based control of the terminal device is disabled.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the terminal device is one of a mobile phone, a tablet, a wearable electromechanical device and a laptop.

Assignees

• Tk Holdings Inc
• Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition Llc

Inventors

• Lisseman Jason
• Cech Len

Classifications

• B60W2540/223

  Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined · CPC title

• B60W60/0053

  from vehicle to occupant · CPC title

• B60W60/0055

  only part of driving tasks shifted to occupants · CPC title

• B60W60/0059

  Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity · CPC title

• B60W50/082

  Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling · CPC title